Top operated railway coupler



Nov. 3, 1964 Filed Aug. 30, 1962 N. H. SUDECK TOP OPERATED RAILWAY COUPLER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Nov. 3, 1964 N. |-|v SUDECK' 3,155,239

TOP OPERATED RAILWAY COUPLER Filed Aug. 30, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 VENTOR.

Nov. 3, 1964 N. H. SUDECK TOP OPERATED RAILWAY COUPLER INVENTOR 2mm figzmz BY Filed Aug. 30, 1962 3 SheetsSheet 3 United States Patent Office 3,155,239 Patented Nov. 3, 1964 3,155,239 T? OPERATED RAHIWAY COUPLER Norman H. Sudeck, Alliance, Ohio, assigncr to Amsted Industries Incorporated, (Ihicago, llh, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 30, I962, Ser. No. 220,482 6 Claims. (til. 213-145) This invention relates to railway car couplers and more particularly to top operated couplers.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved automatic top operated coupler in which a top lifter acts through a top lifter fulcrum member to actuate a knuckle thrower and a lock, the knuckle thrower being mounted on the coupler body for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane to move the knuckle to open position responsive to upward movement of the fulcrum member.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a top lifter fulcrum member formed with a hook shaped arm to engage and raise the lock from its locked position to a lockset position or an unlocked position.

' A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a coupler in which the top lifter fulcrum member is pivoted rearwardly to actuate the knuckle thrower by engagement of the hook shaped arm against a fixed abutment of the coupler body.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a railway coupler which is relatively inexpensive in construction and reliable in operation.

The invention embodies other novel features, details I of construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter set forth in the specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section illustrating a railway coupler embodying features of the invention, the parts thereof being shown in locked position;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section corresponding to FIG- URE 1, showing the parts thereof in full knuckle throw position;

FIGURE 3 is a detail front elevation showing the lock;

FIGURE 4 is a detail side elevation of the lock;

FIGURE 5 is a detail side elevation showing the top lifter fulcrum member;

FIGURE 6 is a detail rear elevation of the fulcrum member;

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view showing the knuckle thrower;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of the knuckle thrower;

FIGURE 9 is a side elevation showing the top lifter;

FIGURE 10 is a rear elevation of the top lifter; and

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary detail section taken on line 1111 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, the railway coupler is shown as comprising a body 2 provided on the forward end of a shank 3 and having a knuckle 4 pivotally connected between pivot lugs 6 and 7 by a pivot pin 8. The knuckle is formed with a nose 9 and a tail 11 which extends rearwardly through an opening 12 in the front face 13 into a lock chamber 14. A knuckle thrower 16 is formed with 'a trunnion 17 journalled in a bearing opening formed in the body 2, the knuckle thrower being mounted for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane and having a knuckle actuating leg 18 adapted to engage the knuckle tail 11 bail 22 extending across a recess forengagement by a hook shaped arm 23 provided on a lock lifter fulcrum member 24. In locked position the arm 23 rests at 26 upon the lock, and the upper rear portion of the lock underlies the anti-creep ledge 27 to prevent accidental upward movement of the lock in service. The member 24 is formed at its upper end with a boss 28 engageable with an abutment shoulder 29 responsive to accidental upward movement of the member.

A top lifter 31 is pivotally connected at 30 to the upper end of the fulcrum member 24 and adapted to be connected to an operating rod manually actuated to raise the lock from its locked position. The lock 19 is adapted to be raised to a lockset position and to swing rearwardly by gravity to seat the lock leg 32 on the lockset ledge 33. When the lock is in its lockset position, opening movement of the knuckle causes the knuckle tail 11 to engage the undersurface of the lock at the forward end thereof to thereby raise the lock and move the lockleg out of engagement with the lockset ledge 33. When the lock is thus resting on the knuckle tail, movement of the knuckle to its closed position causes the lock to fall by gravity to its locked position.

The knuckle 4 is moved to its full open positionduring upward movement of the top lifter fulcrum member 24 to its upper position. When the upper end of the hookshaped arm 23 engages the abutment surface 34 on the body 2, the lower end of the fulcrum member 24 moves rearwardly to engage'the leg 36 on the knuckle thrower 16 to pivot the latter in a horizontal plane and cause the actuating leg 18 to engage the knuckle tail 11 to pivot the knuckle to full open position.

When the knuckle 4 is in its full open position and the top lifter fulcrum member 24 is released, the lock 19 drops down to rest upon the knuckle tail 11. Upon closing of the knuckle, the lock will drop down to its locked position, as shown in FIGURE 1.

I claim:

1. In a top operated railway coupler, a head having a top opening; a knuckle pivotally mounted on said head, said knuckle having a tail, a knuckle thrower pivotally mounted in a horizontal plane in said head and having a leg engageable with the tail on said knuckle to movev the knuckle to open position, a lock lifter fulcrum memher having a hook shaped lock supporting arm, means to move said member upwardly through said opening, abutment means on said head engageable by said arm during upward movement of said member to cause the lower end of said member to move rearwardly to engage and pivot said knuckle thrower in a direction to move said knuckle to open position, and a lock pivotally connected to said arm and pivoted rearwardly by gravity when said member is moved upwardly.

2. In a top operated railway coupler, a head having a top opening; a knuckle pivotally mounted on said head, said knuckle having a tail, a knuckle thrower pivotally mounted in a horizontal plane in said head and having a leg engageable with the tail on .said knuckle to move the knuckle to open position, a lock lifter fulcrum member having a hook shaped lock supporting arm, means to move said member upwardly through said opening, abutment means on said head engageable by said arm during upward movement of said member to cause the lower end of said member to move rearwardly to engage and pivot said knuckle thrower in a direction to move said knuckle to open position, a lock pivotally connected to said arm and pivoted rearwardly by gravity when said member is moved upwardly, and a toplifter pivotally connected to the upper end of said member.

v 3. In a top operated railway coupler, a head having a top opening; a knuckle pivotally mounted on said head, said knuckle having a tail, a knuckle thrower pivotally 3 mounted in a horizontal plane in said head and having a leg engageable with the tail on said knuckle to move the knuckle to open position, a lock lifter fulcrum member having a hook shaped lock supporting arm, means to move said member upwardly through said opening, abutmerit means on said head engageable by said arm during upward movement of said member to cause the lower end of said member to move rearwardly to engage and pivot said knuckle thrower in a direction to move said knuckle to open position, a lock pivotally connected to said arm and pivoted rearwardly by gravity when said member is moved upwardly, a top lifter pivotally connected to the upper end of said member, and a boss on the upper end of said member engageable with a shoulder on the head to prevent accidental upward movement of the member.

4. In a top operated railway coupler,a head having a top opening; a knuckle pivotally mounted on said head, said knuckle having a tail; a knuckle thrower pivotally mounted in a horizontal plane in said head and having a leg engageable with the tail on said knuckle to move the knuckle to open position, a lock lifter fulcrum member having a hook shaped lock supporting arm, means to move said member upwardly through said opening, abutment means on said head engageable by said arm during upward movement of said member to cause the lower end of said member to move rearwardly to engage and pivot said knuckle thrower in a direction to move said knuckle to open position, a lock pivotally connected to said arm and pivoted rearwardly by gravity when said member is moved upwardly, a top lifter pivotally connected to the upper end of said member, and an anticreep ledge on said head to engage said lock against accidental upward movement.

5. In a top operated railway coupler, a head having a top opening; a knuckle pivotally mounted on said head, said knuckle having a tail, a knuckle thrower pivotally move said member upwardly through said opening, abutment means on said head engageable by said arm during upward movement of said member to cause the lower end of said member to move rearwardly to engage and pivot said knuckle thrower in a direction to move said knuckle to open position, a lock pivotally connected to said arm and pivoted rearwardly by gravity when said member is moved upwardly, a top lifter pivotally connected to the upper end of said member, a lockset ledge on said head, and a lock leg on said lock to engage said ledge when the lock is raised to its lockset position.

6. In a top operated railway coupler, a head having a top opening; a knuckle pivotally mounted on said head, said knuckle having a tail, a knuckle thrower pivotally mounted in a horizontal plane in said head and having a leg engageable with the tail on said knuckle to move the knuckle to open position, a lock lifter fulcrum member having a hook shaped lock supporting arm, means to move said member upwardly through said opening, abutment means on said head engageable by said arm during upward movement of said member to cause the lower 7 end of said member to move rearwardly to engage and mounted in a horizontal plane in said head and having a leg engageable with the tail on said knuckle to move the knuckle to open position, a lock lifter fulcrum member having a hook shaped lock supporting arm, means to pivot said knuckle thrower in a direction to move said knuckle to open position, a lock pivotally connected to said arm and pivoted rearwardly by gravity when said member is moved upwardly, a top lifter pivotally connected to the upper end of said member, a lockset ledge on said head, a lock leg on said lock to engage said ledge when the lock is raised to its lockset position, and means on said knuckle to move said lock leg out'of engagement with said ledge responsive to movement of the knuckle to its closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,769,528 Kahler May 31, 1955 

6. IN A TOP OPERATED RAILWAY COUPLER, A HEAD HAVING A TOP OPENING; A KNUCKLE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID HEAD, SAID KNUCKLE HAVING A TAIL, A KNUCKLE THROWER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE IN SAID HEAD AND HAVING A LEG ENGAGEABLE WITH THE TAIL ON SAID KNUCKLE TO MOVE THE KNUCKLE TO OPEN POSITION, A LOCK LIFTER FULCRUM MEMBER HAVING A HOOK SHAPED LOCK SUPPORTING ARM, MEANS TO MOVE SAID MEMBER UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID OPENING, ABUTMENT MEANS ON SAID HEAD ENGAGEABLE BY SAID ARM DURING UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER TO CAUSE THE LOWER END OF SAID MEMBER TO MOVE REARWARDLY TO ENGAGE AND PIVOT SAID KNUCKLE THROWER IN A DIRECTION TO MOVE SAID KNUCKLE TO OPEN POSITION, A LOCK PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID ARM AND PIVOTED REARWARDLY BY GRAVITY WHEN SAID MEMBER IS MOVED UPWARDLY, A TOP LIFTER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID MEMBER, A LOCKSET LEDGE ON SAID HEAD, A LOCK LEG ON SAID LOCK TO ENGAGE SAID LEDGE WHEN THE LOCK IS RAISED TO ITS LOCKSET POSITION, AND MEANS ON SAID KNUCKLE TO MOVE SAID LOCK LEG OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LEDGE RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF THE KNUCKLE TO ITS CLOSED POSITION. 